Jump to content

From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    After spending parts of the past six decades on a golf course, Sam MacKenzie, CGCS, only had to look at his under-utilized bass boat to make a decision about his future.
    "It's been catching more dust than fish," said MacKenzie. "I want to change that trajectory." 
    Director of Grounds at Olympia Fields Country Club in suburban Chicago for the past 19 years, MacKenzie, 64, will retire in 2026. It is a decision MacKenzie has been pondering for some time. 
    "At the end of 2023, we were having my review with the executive committee, and the club president asked 'What are your plans, what do you want to do?'He didn't want me to quit or anything like that. He wanted to know what I'm thinking," MacKenzie said. "I said 'My contract ends in December 2025, and I'll turn 65 that month. And at that time I'll have been here just about 20 years. There's a lot of symmetry in that."
    A 1983 Michigan State graduate, MacKenzie's first job in golf was in 1979 at McComb Country Club in Illinois, and his first head superintendent position was at Delaware Country Club in Muncie, Indiana. After seven years in Muncie, he moved on to Broadmoor Country Club in Indianapolis, where he spent 10 years before taking his current position at Olympia Fields in 2006.
    The club has extended his contract for an additional year, through December 2026, while MacKenzie helps South Course superintendent Francisco Velasquez prepare to take over as director of grounds.
    Another Michigan State graduate, Velasquez has been at Olympia Fields for most of the past decade.
    "He started here as an intern and has worked his way up," MacKenzie said. "He's going to be dynamite."

    Transplanting a large oak tree from out of play to the middle of a fairway was one of the more challenging projects during Sam MacKenzie's career at Olympia Fields Country Club. The 2008 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year award winner, MacKenzie points to a list of accomplishments that includes major tournaments for all of the game's major associations - including two BMW Championship events - and hopes his career speaks for itself.
    "Tournaments are tough," he said. "We've done tournaments with the USGA, the LPGA, the PGA of America and the PGA Tour, and they've all gone off without a hiccup."
    One of the more interesting and challenging projects of his career came last year when a large oak tree was transplanted from an out-of-play location to the 11th fairway of the South Course to replace one of similar size that had come down during a storm. It took a tree-moving firm from Texas four days to complete the project.
    While much has changed throughout the duration of his career in the way golf courses are managed, MacKenzie said two things stand out to him.
    "Number 1 is how we water the golf course and number 2 is how we fertilize it," he said. "In improper doses and in the wrong combination, they can be detrimental to turf health. The turf can thrive with much less than we once thought."
    After his retirement is official, MacKenzie and wife Sally plan to relocate to Lake Wales, Florida, where there is no shortage of lakes to launch his boat.
    "I've been blessed," he said. "A guy my age doesn't always get to go out the way he wants to."
  • DryJect recently added two new franchisees to its growing portfolio to better serve customers nationwide.
    Atlanta Turf will now serve DryJect customers in northern Georgia, an area previously served by East Coast Turf Solutions. Ryan Turf will represent the company to turf managers in the San Francisco Bay area of California.
    That region also was carved from a territory previously served by another franchisee.
    "When a territory is divided, it gives our franchisees the opportunity to better serve their customers, and that’s the most important aspect of our business model," said DryJect president John Paddock.

    DryJect uses water and vacuum to create holes in the soil while simultaneously filling them with sand or a soil amendment. Hatboro, Pennsylvania-based DryJect is a solutions-based company that uses a high-speed, water-based injection system to create aeration holes through the root zone to fracture the soil. Vacuum technology simultaneously fills holes to the surface with sand or a soil amendment, leaving the surface smooth and playable. 
    For more information about DryJect services in northern Georgia, contact Nicholas Alvey at 419-509-5939, or by email at atlantaturfllc@gmail.com. For additional information about services offered by DryJect in the San Francisco Bay area, call Bill Ryan at 408-656-2121, or email him at billdryject@gmail.com.
  • Aquatrols names new marketing manager
    The Aquatrols Co., recently named Megan Svec as its new marketing manager.
    Svec's experience includes content creation, event planning, market analysis, digital marketing and partnership coordination. She has worked in several industries including government, commercial real estate and construction management. Most recently, she worked for Infinite Blue, a business software company that was acquired last year by Everbridge. Her experience with Infinite Blue focused on events, social media, email campaigns and webinars.
    Part of Lamberti, a chemical manufacturer with headquarters in Italy, Aquatrols is Paulsboro, New Jersey-based company that has been providing soil surfactant and wetting agent innovation for the turfgrass and horticulture industries for more than 70 years.
     
    PBI adds to leadership team
    PBI-Gordon recently named Gilbert Bourk and Eric Bur to the company's executive leadership team.
    Bur (near right) was named vice president and chief financial officer for PBI and its subsidiaries, and as such oversees all aspects of the financial planning, accounting and IT functions for PBI. He joined PBI in 2019 as the senior director of finance.
    Bourk (far right) has been named vice president and general counsel for PBI and its subsidiaries, PBI-Gordon Corp., Pegasus Laboratories and Pet-Ag Inc. Bourk joined PBI in 2019 as the senior director of the PBI legal department.
    Based in Shawnee, Kansas, employee-owned PBI-Gordon develops, manufactures and markets products to the professional turf and ornamental industry as well as the companion animal health industry through its three subsidiaries.
     
    Envu expands management unit
    Envu named three new members to its sales management team.
    Pat Quinlan, Jay Long and Zak Peterson (left to right below) collectively have more than 50 years of combined experience in the lawn, golf and sports turf industries.

      Quinlan will manage Envu's efforts in northern New Jersey and eastern New York. Quinlan has more than 20 years of experience as a superintendent, including the past eight years at Fairmount Country Club in Chatham Township, New Jersey.
    Long will support Envu customers in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. Prior to joining Envu, Long served as the superintendent of golf for the Mercer County (New Jersey) Park Commission where he oversaw the agronomic and operational management of five 18-hole golf courses. A native of Staten Island, NY, he has been a golf course superintendent for almost 30 years.
    Peterson will serve customers in Illinois and Indiana. Prior to joining Envu, Peterson served as the Midwest regional sales manager for Arborjet/Ecologel over a 13-state area. He also served as the grounds manager for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team.
  • A pioneer in autonomous mowing, Kress Commercial Robotics provided a sneak peak at its latest innovation in outdoor power equipment during the company's NEXT Summit.
    Held April 3 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the summit was the site of the unveiling of the company's new battery-powered KR800 40 "Cut N Go" robotic mower. The emission-free, electric, ZTR-replacement mower helps improve operational efficiency and profitability by mowing large areas in the background as crews focus on detailed and more time-consuming tasks. Cut N Go is designed to navigate with by mapping — a simple ride-on process — multiple areas.
    "Our mission for Kress Commercial Robotics is to be much more than a products company, and instead to be the premier technology provider in our industry," said Don Gao, founder and CEO of Kress' parent company Positec.
    With a 40-inch cutting deck, the battery-powered Cut N Go can mow as many as five acres on a single charge. The mower autonomously loads and unloads from a trailer, and can move on its own from one project to another after initial property mapping. It features a 5,000-hour operational life and fully integrates into the Kress Fleet Management System. With boundary-wirefree navigation and 360-degree obstacle avoidance Cut N Go avoids people and other objects.

    The battery-powered KR800 40 Cut N Go robotic mower from Kress that can cut up to 5 acres on a single charge will be available early in 2026. Features of the Cut N Go are:
    40-inch cutting deck Autonomous trailer loading and unloading Battery supports all day operation  5000-hour operational life Integrated with Kress Fleet Management System 360-degree obstacle avoidance Ride-on for perimeter mapping and commuting Level 5 autonomous driving capability The Cut N Go mows precise patterns using RTK-positioning technology that originally was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. The unit features Level 5 autonomous driving capability, which means after the initial mapping process it requires no direct human interaction to complete its tasks.
    "Built for all-day operation with zero emissions, Cut N Go fits seamlessly with any crew that currently uses a ZTR while increasing labor efficiency and protecting crews from breathing harmful emissions," said Todd Zimmerman, vice president of product development.
    The Cut N Go unit will be available early in 2026.
  • DLF is set to expand its outreach with the establishment of two Product Knowledge Centers in North America.
    DLF, the global grass seed company with headquarters in Roskilde, Denmark, plans to open the new centers in Philomath, Oregon and Port Hope, Ontario on July 1.
    Each will help the company promote product education, information from field trials and provide information on technical support while also building on collaboration between product management, marketing and sales personnel.
    This association helps each group work together to serve customers and build the company's presence throughout North America.
    "Our vision for these centers is to prominently feature everything the DLF portfolio has to offer, from bentgrass to alfalfa to new innovations in seed enhancement," said DLF North America executive vice president Neil Douglas. "These locations are important to demonstrate the value of our product innovation, training customers and staff, and for collaborating with key industry partners."

    DLF is adding two Product Knowledge Centers in July, one in Oregon and one in Ontario. DLF photo The Willamette Valley, being close to many of DLF’s key U.S. grower partners, is an area the company plans to continue investing in. The Philomath and Port Hope Product Knowledge Centers will remain the host sites for DLF's seed camps and ongoing customer education activities.
    As part of this growth initiative, and to advance DLF's efforts to strengthen its breeding programs and ensure long-term operational excellence, the company will consolidate two independent research stations in Philomath, Oregon, and Touchet, Washington into a single multi-species breeding station located in Touchet.
    "A single, well-staffed station will strengthen our R&D activities and ensure we continue to deliver new high-quality forage and turf products, while at the same time provide long-term career growth opportunities for our employees," said DLF executive vice president and scientific officer Derek Bartlem
    Both breeding stations are now operating independently. By consolidating its Pacific Northwest breeding operations in Touchet, company officials believe they can create a stronger breeding station that better supports research and development goals without impacting staffing numbers. The company also has a breeding station in West Salem, Wisconsin.
  • Two superintendents, one each in Texas and Florida, recently were recognized for their work in government relations on behalf of the turf industry.
    Chris Ortmeier, director of agronomy at Champions Golf Club in Houston, and Clinton Tingen, CGCS at Sandhill Crane Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, have been named Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award winners by the GCSAA.
    The Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award recognizes those who have demonstrated growth in advocacy through congressional outreach and relationship development. Each wins a trip to participate in National Golf Day, scheduled for April 30-May 2 in Washington, D.C.

    The two winners of the Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award are headed to the National Golf Day event in Washington, D.C., courtesy of Toro. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated growth in advocacy through congressional outreach and is part of the Grassroots Ambassador program that matches superintendents with members of Congress to build relationships based on issues critical to the golf industry. Both superintendents win a trip to participate in National Golf Day, scheduled for April 30-May 2 in Washington, D.C., courtesy of The Toro Co. 
    More than 500 superintendents are participating in the program.
    A graduate of the Texas Tech turfgrass program, Ortmeier has been at Champions Club for 11 years. As an ambassador since 2021, Ortmeier is paired with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX).  
    In meetings with McCaul's staff members, Ortmeier (right) has addressed key legislation that affects pesticide products and labor issues, including the H-2B guest worker program.
    He said being an ambassador has allowed him to be involved in the golf industry beyond his duties on the golf course, and that participating in the program has given him a greater understanding of the political process and the game's place in it.
    "I have always jumped at any opportunity to do my part for GCSAA," Ortmeier said. "Being an ambassador doesn't require much prior political experience and, at its core, is about serving for the greater vitality of golf."
    Ortmeier was president of the Lone Star GCSA in 2022 and has been on the chapter's board of directors since 2018. 
    In his fourth year as superintendent at Sandhill Crane, Tingen (right) has been an ambassador since 2020 and is paired with Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL). Before becoming an ambassador, Tingen believed legislators were well acquainted with issues affecting the golf industry. He has since learned that there is a need for education on issues such as the guest worker program, water use, pesticides and disaster relief.
    "They didn't know the golf industry relies on H-2B visas or that golf was included in the 'sin list,' and it hit me that these people are all busy and fielding asks from everybody," he said. "If we don't have a seat at the table, our voice will not be heard. I'm glad I got involved and don't mind giving extra time to educate people about our industry." 
    Tingen stays in regular contact with several staff members from Mast's office. He has had the opportunity to meet with Mast and members of his office to discuss the H-2B program and the tax code bill that excludes golf from federal economic aid and disaster relief.
    "We presented numbers about sustainability and golf's real water use, explaining how irrigation computers limit water use to reduce waste," Tingen said. "My advocacy efforts also include watching out for and responding to calls to action from the GCSAA government affairs department. Advocacy is important because although it may not pay off instantly, the relationships we build will help us out one day. We need to let people know that golf has good intentions and to ask them to keep us in mind when making decisions."
  • Tiger Woods and the home of the Masters Tournament are partnering to promote golf in the Augusta community and educational opportunities to the area's underserved population.
    Augusta National Golf Club announced plans for Woods' TGR Design firm to design a nine-hole, par-3 course at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, known commonly now as The Patch.
    The golfer's TGR Foundation also is partnering with Augusta National to establish in Augusta the fourth TGR Learning Lab that will bring science, technology, engineering, arts and math education to students throughout the surrounding community.
    "Today’s announcements mark an important milestone for Augusta and deepen the connection our community has with one of our greatest Masters champions, Tiger Woods," Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said in an address to the media. "We are thankful to partner with the TGR Foundation and jointly invest in the Augusta community. This partnership, in the TGR Learning Lab, reflects our shared interest in increasing access to high-quality programming and impacting the next generation in a tangible way."
    The new course designed by Woods is part of a master plan at The Patch that includes a renovation by the team of Tom Fazio and Beau Welling that began in January. The new short course will be named The Loop at the Patch, in recognition of the caddies who have used the course as a gathering spot for decades. 

    A master plan at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, aka The Patch, will include a renovation to the 18-hole golf course by Tom Fazio and Beau Welling and a new nine-hole par-3 course designed by Tiger Woods. "What an honor to be here and to have this moment to be able to be part of Augusta National but just in a different way," Woods, a 15-time major championship winner and five-time Masters champion, said in a video promoting the project. "I have the ability to be able to design something that is going to impact the community, something that I truly believe in, education and STEM and giving back to the underserved and to be able to do this with Augusta National, what an honor."
    The project is expected to open around the time of next year's Masters. The STEM lab is scheduled to open in 2028 on the site of a closed Augusta elementary school.
    "So much good will come from this project," Ridley said.
    "With scheduled completion a year from now, this nine-hole, par-3 course will be great fun and serve all golfers, ranging from those being introduced to the game to the most avid players."
  • The owner of a shuttered Atlanta-area golf course once maintained by the legendary Palmer Maples Jr. is facing stiff resistance from nearby residents over his proposal to have the property rezoned so he can sell it to a residential home developer.
    A 1973 Ward Northrup design, Summit Chase Country Club in Snellville, Georgia, closed in 2022 after years of declining business, said Don Britt, who has owned the property in suburban Gwinnett County since 1980.
    Britt, who says he has exhausted his options to keep the course open, filed a request in spring 2024 to have the 95-acre property rezoned from recreational use to low-density residential so he can sell it to KJ Luxury Homes, an Alpharetta-based developer of high-end homes throughout the Atlanta area. A decision on the matter was delayed by the council in September and again in January. The council voted March 24 to again delay a decision, this time until its April 28 meeting.
    Britt cited golf industry statistics about the historic declining popularity of the game from 2006 until the Covid pandemic that resulted in the closure of thousands of courses nationwide. About 3,000 courses across the country have closed in the past 20 years, according to industry statistics.

    Summit Chase Country Club in Snellville, Georgia, became just another industry statistic when it closed in 2022. He also cited National Golf Foundation information saying "25 percent of the golf courses have to close so that the other 75 percent can survive."
    "That's happened," he said.
    "We did everything we could do to stay in business. We opened for public play. We opened the restaurant to the public. Every aspect of our interest was open to anyone with interest."
    The proposal submitted by KJ Luxury Homes to redevelop the property includes building 125 single-family homes, each at least 2,400 square feet, on lots no smaller than 10,000 square feet.
    An attorney representing the developer said there are plenty of other recreational opportunities nearby, including several parks.
    "I would offer to council for justification for the requested future land use amendment and the rezoning, the fact that the property is designated as that park-residential designation," said Shane Lanham, an attorney representing the developer. "We would submit to council that classifying that subject property to that same low-density residential is appropriate, especially given the fact that it appears that elsewhere on the future land-use map those other park-recreation designations are city or county parks."
    A packed house of concerned neighbors, most of whom appeared to be opposed to the plan, filled Snellville council chambers on March 24 to voice their opinions.
    Among their concerns are overcrowding of roads and schools and added pressure on other public services.

    Attorney Shane Lanham speaks before a mostly packed house during a Snellville City Council meeting on March 24. Image from YouTube Christina Kit Vinsick, who lives in a nearby neighborhood, spoke at the meeting, claiming to represent the concerns of residents of seven surrounding neighborhoods comprising 648 single-family homes. She said the residents of those 600-plus homes do not want to see another 125 residences go up around them. Homes in the proposed Summit Chase plan are larger than most of the others in the area.
    Vinsick says more homes will burden schools and the town's aging sewer system and will result in more traffic.
    "This neighborhood within a neighborhood," Vinsick said, "would turn our streets into thoroughfares."
    Vinsick claims other potential buyers expressed interest in maintaining the property as green space. Britt says that is not true.
    "We unsuccessfully tried to reopen the golf course," he said. "We met with county officials to convert it to a park. There was no interest. In the end, (selling) it was the only viable option to give us reasonable economic use for our property."
    Maples was superintendent at Summit Chase from 1981 to 1997. Maples was president of the Carolinas GCSA from 1967 to 1969 and served as GCSAA president in 1975. His many awards include Georgia GCSA Superintendent of the Year in 1971, GCSAA Distinguished Service Award in 1999 and the 2000 USGA Green Section Award.
    Summit Chase also has a history in the clubhouse, where Gene Siller was the pro before moving on to Pinetree Country Club in nearby Kennesaw. In February 2024, Bryan Rhoden was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of murder and kidnapping in the deaths of Siller, Henry Valdez and Paul Pierson in July 2021.
  • EnP Investments, the maker of granular and liquid fertilizers for the golf, sports turf and lawn and landscape markets, recently named Mark McCarel as sales manager for its northeast territory.
    McCarel's post is a newly created position to support the Foliar-Pak customer base and distributor network throughout the region.
    A former superintendent, McCarel (right) has three decades of green industry experience, that also includes a position with UgMO, a former soil moisture technology firm.
    "My golf experience will be most relevant to this role, but my time at UgMO Technologies allowed me to learn and hone other business skills relating to sales, marketing, product development, and customer success," McCarel said. "My experience over the last 30 years will help me guide customers on how best to value and position the Foliar-Pak product line to their end users—to deliver the promised results and ensure their success."
    McCarel's hands-on experience and passion for turf make him a strong addition to the EnP team.
    "He has a deep understanding of what turf professionals need to succeed, and we're confident that his expertise will help us strengthen our presence in the Northeast," said George Murray, EnP president.
    Based in Mendota, Illinois, EnP Investments manufactures specialty products, such as liquid and granular fertilizers, amino acid products, wetting agents and aquatics formulated to:
    Prevent plant stress from environmental factors Accelerate turfgrass establishment Enhance soil biology Encourage controlled growth Alleviate difficult soil conditions
  • After years of planning and a lengthy approval process, an apprenticeship program for aspiring turfgrass managers in New York has just about hit the halfway mark with its inaugural class.
    The New York State Turfgrass Association Apprenticeship Program is a 24-month program for those seeking to improve their turf management skills through a carefully selected curriculum of classroom instruction and on-the-job training.
    The program, which was developed through a collaborative effort that includes NYSTA staff, the New York Department of Labor, faculty at SUNY-Delhi and Tyler Bloom of Bloom Golf Partners, the program's administrator, consists of 19 college credits and 4,000 hours of on-the-job training.
    More than two years in the planning and development process, the program was approved by the NY Department of Labor in December 2023, and the first group of a dozen students enrolled last fall, and will finish the course in May 2026, said NYSTA executive director Sue VanAmburgh.
    "It took about two years before it was finalized with the New York Department of Labor," VanAmburgh said. "It was quite a process to get it approved.
    "Since then, it has been a learning process for them and us."
    Most of the students enrolled in the program currently work on golf courses. The bulk of the education takes place in a virtual classroom. However, one week each semester all 12 are required to attend classes in person for lab work, with accommodations in university housing.
    "They really seem to enjoy that," VanAmburgh said. "They get a chance to network with each other and stay in touch when they go back home."
    The apprenticeship is designed primarily for would-be turf managers who lack a two-year or four-year degree, but need the skills acquired in college to further their careers. 
    The cost of enrolling in the program typically is paid by the employer, which qualifies them for $7,000 in tax incentives. On-the-job training takes place at the golf course where each student already works, but what they do each day no differs from their pre-apprenticeship day-to-day routine, and a qualified instructor or mentor on staff will oversee the process to ensure that work is completed in a manner that would satisfy state DOL requirements. Hours worked on the job count toward that 4,000-hour total.
    "It's mostly for people who want to go further in their education but couldn't," VanAmburgh said. "It goes both ways: It's a good thing for the student, and it's a good thing for you as the employer."
    On-site training is a combination performing and learning the following:
    Project management, drainage, grading and sodding Methods of aerification General small-engine maintenance Trim trees/shrubs using hand and power-operated equipment Field maintenance Adjustment and repair to irrigation/voltage lighting systems Facility and field upkeep Water management Daily maintenance and projects Application of fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides Golf course maintenance, or sports field maintenance NYSTA needed a Guinea pig to go through the program on sort of a Beta process, and Ryan Bain of Noyac Golf Club in Sag Harbor, New York, was only happy to comply, going through the program from 2022-24.
    "I knew the program was just starting, but someone had to be first," Bain said. ". There was some unknown along the way, but I had a great support system between the team at Noyac, Delhi and NYSTA. Any time I had questions someone was there to answer them and guide me through the process."
    When Bain was hired at Noyac four years ago under superintendent Brian Goleski, CGCS, part of the onboarding was sending him to a two-year program at Rutgers or Penn State.

    Above, Ryan Bain, now the assistant superintendent Noyac Golf Club in Sag Harbor, New York,  is the first student to successfully complete the New York State Turfgrass Association Apprenticeship Program. Top, Bain installs sod as part of the apprenticeship program that allows students to gain classroom instruction and valuable on-the-job training in a variety of areas at their current place of employment. Below, Bain works on tree management at Noyac Golf Club. All photos courtesy of Ryan Bain
    "Ultimately, we chose the apprenticeship so I could stay on property full time and develop my skills in real-life applications," Bain said. "The apprenticeship seemed to have more advantages than disadvantages for the club because I could continue working, learning and being productive while taking classes. It was advantageous to me personally, because I continued collecting a paycheck while enrolled and did not have to go without income while furthering my education. I already had a bachelor's degree in business with which the apprenticeship coupled perfectly. I knew I was comfortable with online education, and could handle the workload."
    Through the program, he has improved his turf management skills, such as turf, disease and pest identification and treatment, water flow and pump station operation and soil chemistry, while never missing a day of work.
    "On the job, I was able to apply all these things, as well as learn how to operate every piece of equipment we use, install and maintain irrigation systems, manage people, scheduling to maximize manpower, budgeting, and so much more," he said.
    The seeds for the apprenticeship program first were planted in 2018 when NYSTA first discussed expanding educational opportunities for NYSTA members and turf managers throughout the state as part of a new strategic plan. Developing an education component fell on the shoulders of board member and retired SUNY Delhi instructor Dom Morales.
    It was Morales who brought Bloom, a former superintendent whose consulting firm specializes in, among other things, career development.
    "We heard the complaints from our members," Morales told TurfNet after the inaugural class started last year. "For every intern candidate there were eight to 10 openings. We couldn't fill them all. University turf schools once were accused of flooding the market with assistant candidates. Now, there is a drought of good, qualified people.
    "Approval from the DOL gives the program credibility. There is on-the-job training and related instruction, and everything is documented. Graduates get a certificate that proves they have these skills. 
    "It's a new way of educating turf professionals and getting them into the field with the knowledge to move up. We hope that employers see it as having someone on their crew who has potential, but can't go back to college. I think it's a win-win."
    Being the first person, albeit as a test pilot of sorts, to successfully complete the program already has paid dividends for Bain, whose career goals include, but are not limited to, becoming a head superintendent and perhaps dabbling in course design work.
    "I also love the game of golf and have considered pursuing a career with the USGA," he said. "The apprenticeship has already opened doors that would not have been possible otherwise. Immediately upon completing the program I was invited to apply for a head superintendent position. While that job did not work out, there will certainly be more opportunities in the next year and following years."
  • It is not often, if ever, that a golf course superintendent is recognized by a government agency for their work
    South Carolina’s House of Representatives recently honored the career of golf course superintendent Chuck Green when it presented the longtime superintendent with a resolution at the State House in Columbia.
    (Pictured at right: South Carolina Rep. Roger Kirby (left) presents Chuck Green with a resolution recognizing his contributions during a career as a golf course superintendent that has spanned more than 40 years.)
    Green, who is director of operations at Quixote Club in Sumter, is a past president of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association. The Carolinas GCSA sustained unprecedented growth during his tenure as president, prompting the association to honor Green with its Distinguished Service Award last November.
    In a 40-year career, Green was superintendent at Florence Country Club and Columbia Country Club. In 2000, he grew-in Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, South Carolina, where he remained for 19 years. He was named operations manager at Sunset Country Club in 2019 where he headed up the transition to the reinvented Quixote Club. Part of that transition was a $13 million renovation in 2020.
    "I am deeply honored that the House of Representatives would choose to do this," Green said in a news release. "And at the same time, I am proud that the golf course profession has come so far that our state’s leaders would recognize the work we do. So many people have helped me in my career and so many have helped advance the profession. I hope they all take some pride in this because they should."
    Green also played a lead role in helping advance turfgrass research in the Carolinas. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of Clemson University's Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence, South Carolina, which became synonymous with the work of retired Clemson plant pathologist Bruce Martin, Ph.D.
    The Clemson research center was established in 1911 in Darlington, South Carolina, but was reinvented in 1985 in its current location in Florence. Until 1985, Martin's research focused primarily on corn, cotton, sorghum and tobacco.
    "(W)ithout Chuck's intervention and willingness to intercede and plead my case it would have been unlikely that we would ever have built our program at Florence," Martin wrote last year in nominating Green for the award.
    The House resolution read in part: "…with much admiration, the House takes great pleasure in applauding Chuck Green on receiving such a highly coveted accolade as the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association Distinguished Service Award." The resolution was introduced by Rep. Roger Kirby, D-Florence, and carried 111 sponsors.
    The resolution cited highlights of Green’s 40-plus year career in golf course maintenance including his role in growing the Carolinas GCSA and helping transform the association’s annual conference and trade show into the country's largest regional golf course superintendent event.
    The resolution also noted that Green received support for his nomination for the prestigious GCSA Distinguished Service Award through an unprecedented 36 letters from fellow past presidents, turfgrass researchers, industry partners, and fellow superintendents, some of whom he mentored.
  • For turf managers looking for an easy-to-use tool to help them identify and manage grassy and broadleaf weeds on golf courses and athletic fields, the University of Tennessee recently released the updated version of its mobile weed guide.
    The University of Tennessee Mobile Weed Manual can help users identify weeds and offers tips on how to control them. Designed to help users select the proper herbicide for use in turf and in ornamentals, the free guide is available on the App Store and Google Play for use on phones and tablets. A desktop version also is available.
    Users can find pests and solutions cross-referenced by weed, turfgrass species and herbicides. 
    Digital images help users with identification of 49 grassy weeds and 81 broadleaf weed species. The guide also provides detailed information on each weed in the guide, including a description of size and growth habits, and where and under what conditions each thrives. Complete with a new user interface, the guide includes labels and safety data sheet information for more than 160 pre- and post-emergent herbicides and mixes.
    The guide also offers efficacy and tolerance data for herbicides on 21 turfgrass varieties of turfgrasses and more than 2,000 ornamental species.
  • Golf often is the center of political turmoil.
    Topics like use of pesticides, fertilizers and water as well as habitat management are among the usual reasons golf is typically in the crosshairs of those attempting to curry favor with voters.
    The game's antagonists say golf courses use too much water, contaminate the soil and water table with synthetic chemicals and fertilizers and are a waste of land that could be used for the greater good.
    That last item has become especially poignant in New York City politics where a candidate vying to be the city's next mayor has his sights set on the public golf inventory to help solve the local housing shortage.
    NYC comptroller Brad Lander, a candidate in an otherwise crowded mayoral field, is running on a campaign that includes building a half-million new housing units in the next decade. Calling his plan "a hole-in-one" Lander says he wants to use four of New York's 12 city-owned golf courses to provide space for about a tenth of that proposed increase in housing inventory.
    "When I'm mayor, we'll build new neighborhoods on just four of the city's 12 municipal golf courses," Lander said in a campaign video. "It would mean we could create 50,000 new homes for New Yorkers to rent or buy."
    The city's dozen golf courses comprise about 2,500 acres across four of New York's five boroughs, and Lander has yet to publicly identify which of the city's four golf courses he would like to repurpose. His campaign, however, has released a 36-page document on his plan to solve the city's housing dilemma that cites outdated data about the game's popularity.
    The document reads: "The popularity of golf has waned over the past twenty years; between 2003 and 2018, the number of golfers declined nationally by 6.8 million or 22% and the number of golfers at half of the City's municipal golf courses dropped by 17% between 2008 and 2018."
    That data, while accurate, also is flawed given the game's resurgence during and after the Covid pandemic.
    Since 2020, records have been set nationwide for rounds played and the overall number of players in the game. This year's state of the industry report given annually at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando by Jim Koppenhaver and Stuart Lindsay also indicates a substantial boost in the number of younger players and women in the game.

    Clearview Park Golf Course in Queens is in the shadows of the Throgs Neck Bridge. Golf NYC photo Koppenhaver says any pre-Covid numbers on golf are out of date. Not only is the game's popularity up nationwide since the pandemic, interest in golf in New York City is outpacing the national average, he said.
    "Our sources/calculations indicate there's just under 20 million rounds played annually in the NYC Core Business Statistical Area by the end of calendar year 2023," Koppenhaver wrote by email. 
    "The cumulative growth in rounds from 2019-23 was about 25%. That represents a compound annual change rate of about 6% per annum. In summary, (golf) post-Covid is growing at a healthy rate and slightly higher than the national average on those growth rate metrics."
    Even the city's own website seems to refute Lander's claims of the game's popularity. All the courses on the New York City golf website have a link to get on a waitlist for tee times.
    The New York State Turfgrass Association has released a statement in opposition to Lander's plan for municipal golf.
    The letter states: "New York City's municipal golf courses offer accessible and affordable recreational opportunities across the five boroughs. These 12 public courses accommodate golfers of all skill levels, promoting physical activity, mental well-being, and outdoor engagement. Mr. Lander argues that golf participation has declined, citing outdated statistics from 2003 to 2018. However, he conveniently omits the sport's resurgence in recent years. In New York, golf rounds surged by over 20% during COVID-19, and demand remains strong, with the National Golf Foundation reporting a seventh consecutive annual increase in participation, reaching over 28 million golfers in 2024. This growing interest underscores the increasing need for public golf facilities in urban areas."
    Click here to read the letter in its entirety.
    According to the National Golf Foundation, those numbers might be even higher.
    "It appears that New York rounds (for 2024) would be up approximately 40% compared to 2019. This is higher than the national average (+22%)," wrote NGF editorial director Erik Matuszewski by email.
    "The New York City average would at least be similar in direction, but likely slightly under the +40%."
    The race for mayor is a crowded field that includes incumbent Eric Adams, former governor Andrew Cuomo, assemblyman Michael Blake, comedian Corinne Fisher, assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, state senator Zellnor Myrie, state senator Jessica Ramos, former comptroller Scott Stringer and hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson.
    Election Day in New York is Nov. 4.
  • The herbicide Roundup remains a tool for professional turf managers and for use in agriculture, but its future drifts further into uncertainty with each successive lawsuit lodged against the company that manufactures it.
    A Georgia jury recently ordered Bayer, the parent company of Roundup maker Monsanto, to pay $2.065 billion in damages to a man who says the weedkiller caused his cancer.
    The Georgia decision is the latest in a long line of lawsuits brought against Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018 for $63 million. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, has been blamed for causing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in thousands of people since 2019. 
    John Barnes filed suit against Bayer/Monsanto in 2021, saying the weedkiller caused his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Bayer representatives said the company, based in Leverkusen, Germany, will appeal the decision.
    Roundup was patented by Monsanto in 1971 and became commercially available in 1974. In that time, it had become the world's most popular weedkiller because of its effectiveness. Bayer began fending off lawsuits within months of acquiring the company that had been based in St. Louis.
    Since the first complaint was filed in 2019, more than 177,000 suits have been filed against Bayer/Monsanto, thousands of which were settled for nearly $11 billion in 2020. That sum was increased to $16 billion last June.

    Roundup is a popular herbicide for cleaning up winter weeds in dormant warm-season turf on golf courses. The Houston-based law firm of Arnold & Itkin released the following statement: "Today’s verdict is another example of Bayer's refusal to accept responsibility for poisoning people with its toxic weed-killer Roundup. Our firms have now tried four separate cases to verdict for four different cancer victims and each jury has awarded punitive damages against Bayer for its wrongful conduct. Hopefully, today’s verdict causes Bayer's leadership to fully and finally take accountability for injuring so many families."
    In 2023, Bayer announced it would pull glyphosate-based Roundup from the consumer and lawn and garden markets, replacing the active ingredient with a combination of four chemicals — fluazifop-P-butyl, triclopyr, diquat dibromide and imazapic. The original formulation remains available for the agriculture and professional markets — for now.
    Bayer representatives have repeatedly said the weedkiller is safe in accordance with label directions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted a regulatory review of Roundup in 2020 and concluded the herbicide is not a carcinogen.
    The company released a statement saying the Georgia decision: "We disagree with the jury’s verdict, as it conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide. We believe that we have strong arguments on appeal to get this verdict overturned and the excessive and unconstitutional damage awards eliminated or reduced. The court previously granted the majority of the company’s motion for a directed verdict finding that the plaintiff had failed to prove most of their causes of action in this case.
    "We continue to stand fully behind the safety of Roundup products - critical tools that farmers rely on to produce affordable food and feed the world."
  • Wiedenmann North America has named Jeremy Potestio as territory sales manager for the company's Midwest region. 
    Potestio has more than 11 years of experience in the golf and turf industry, previously specializing in Wiedenmann equipment sales with Potestio Brothers Equipment, a Colorado-based John Deere distributor. 
    His territory includes Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, along with Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
  • For more than 40 years, the name Bob Farren, CGCS, has been synonymous with golf at the highest level as well as mentoring the next generation of superintendents.
    As a result of his contributions to the game of golf and the turf management profession, Farren, who is director of golf course management at Pinehurst Resort,  has been named the recipient of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association Distinguished Service Award.
    Farren oversees agronomic conditions for all of Pinehurst's nine golf courses, as well as a par 3 course and 43,000-square-foot putting course.
    The award is the Carolina GCSA's highest honor and is presented annually by the 1,850-member association. Farren will accept the award in November at the Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach.
    News of the award came as a surprise to Farren, when it was announced before about 200 industry colleagues at the recent Southeast Region Conference at Pinehurst.
    "Bob Farren has been a beacon for our profession for longer than many of our members have been alive," said Carolinas GCSA president Alex Tolbert of Orangeburg (SC) Country Club. "For decades, he has been a leader, at his facility, across our region, and on the national stage. We all walk a little taller in our roles because of his efforts and his example."
    Farren officially began his career in golf course maintenance in 1979. He joined Pinehurst three years later and led the Carolinas GCSA as president in 1995. He has been a key figure in restoring Pinehurst's standing in the game, and since he arrived at the resort in 1982, its famed No. 2 course has been the site of the U.S. Open in 1999, 2004, 2014 and 2024. 
    Designated a U.S. Open "anchor site" by the USGA, Pinehurst No. 2 will be the host site of the tournament again in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047. The U.S. Women's Open was held at Pinehurst in 2014 and will return there in 2029.
    A native of Tornado, West Virginia, Farren grew up on the local golf course where his father worked. He is a graduate of Marshall University, where he studied hospitality.
    In his time at Pinehurst, he has been a regular speaker at industry events, and for most of the past 20 years has been active in networking and education events for assistant superintendents like the Green Start Academy. He credits his mother, who was a teacher, for helping foster the educator in him.
    "I get a sense that it's part of my mother's love of school-teaching and education," Farren told TurfNet in 2018. "And certainly the tutelage I had growing up and realizing the value and importance of having a mentor."

    Bob Farren, CGCS at Pinehurst Resort, will add the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award to his lengthy list of accolades. Farren also has overseen tremendous growth at Pinehurst as well as a return to the facility's rustic golf roots that includes a restoration of the Donald Ross-designed No. 2 course in advance of the U.S. Open and Women's Open played in concurrent weeks in 2014. 
    That restoration, led by the design team of Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, included converting more than 40 acres of irrigated turf to native grasses, regrassing greens with heat- and drought-tolerant Champion Bermudagrass, eliminating overseeding throughout the property and bringing back a vintage appearance that more resembles what No. 2 looked like when Ross built it in 1907.
    Farren was inducted into the Carolinas Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2019 and was named the winner of the USGA Green Section Award in 2024.
    Previous recipients of the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award are: 2023 — Fred Yelverton, Ph.D.; 2022 — Danny Allen; 2021 — Rick Brandenburg, Ph.D.; 2019 — Steve Smith; 2019 — Wayne Smith, Jr.; 2018 — Bert McCarty, Ph.D.; 2017 — Will Holroyd; 2016 — Turner Revels; 2015 — Steve Sheets; 2014 — Michael Fabrizio, CGCS; 2013 — George Fisher; 2012 — Fred Meda; 2011 — Chuck Borman; 2010 — S. Bruce Martin, Ph.D.; 2009 — Patrick O'Brien; 2008 — William D. Anderson, CGCS; 2007 — Dr. Leon Lucas; 2006 — Randy Allen, CGCS; 2005 — Bob Bell; 2003 — Alton "Butch" Sheffield, CGCS; 2002 — James E. "Ernie" Hayes; 2001 — Palmer Maples Jr., CGSC; 2000 — George Thompson, CGCS; 1998 — Landon Miller, Ph.D.*; 1997 — Ed Ancherico; 1996 — Dr. Paul "Doc" Alexander; 1995 — James G. "Whitie" Wright*; 1994 — Wayne B. Smith, Sr.*; 1994 — Dr. Bill Gilbert*; 1993 — Dr. Carl Blake; 1993 — Charles P. Willimon, Sr.*; 1992 — Stanley Boarski, CGCS*; 1992 — Jim Spencer*; 1992 — Bob Hamrick*; 1992 — Bill Sutton*
    * Deceased

×
×
  • Create New...